MECCA, June 9, 2025 – The President of Religious Affairs of Turkey, Prof. Dr. Ali Erbaş, met with Somalia’s Minister of Islamic Affairs and Foundations, Mukhtar Robow, and his accompanying delegation during a courtesy visit in Mecca, Turkish officials said Monday.
The meeting took place at the Religious Services Attaché building in Mecca during the Hajj season. President Erbaş extended Eid al-Adha greetings to Minister Robow and thanked him for the visit.
“Somalia is an Islamic country with which we maintain very close cooperation at almost all institutional levels,” Erbaş said. “Your visit here is of great value to us.”
Highlighting Turkey’s religious and educational support, Erbaş noted that the Turkish Religious Foundation (TDV) provides assistance to Somali students both in Türkiye and Somalia, particularly in education. He also stated that thousands of qurban (sacrificial meat) shares were delivered to Somalia through proxy sacrifices organized for Eid al-Adha.
Erbaş emphasized that Turkey and Somalia maintain a deep partnership in various fields, calling the visit a reflection of “strong and meaningful ties between our countries.”
For his part, Minister Robow expressed gratitude for Turkey’s long-standing and unconditional support for Somalia. He noted that many high-ranking Somali officials are graduates of Turkish institutions and fluent in Turkish.
“All mosques in Somalia contain copies of the Quran sent from Türkiye,” Robow added, praising the deep religious and cultural connections between the two nations.
The meeting was also attended by Türkiye’s Ambassador to Riyadh, Prof. Dr. Emrullah İşler; Vice President of Religious Affairs, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Selim Argun; Riyadh Religious Services Counselor, Prof. Dr. Ramazan Muslu; and Mecca Religious Services Attaché, Dr. Ahmet Oğuz.
